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Grow Something Beautiful This Winter— Indoor Gardens are a Great Activity for Seniors

Indoor gardening has its own special rewards. It can brighten up your home by bringing the beauty and fragrance of nature inside and also be a fun, stress-free hobby. There are many different ways to indoor garden and a variety of tools available to ensure success.

One of the simplest ways to start is by planting a bulb. There are several bulbs that grow well inside such as hyacinths, tulips, amaryllis and daffodils. They flower fairly quickly and make a perfect complement to dark, dreary, winter days. Cacti make wonderful houseplants as they do not require much care and live for a long time. Edible gardens are also a great indoor option as they are easy to grow and then enjoyed when added to a meal.

Indoor gardening is especially therapeutic for those with Alzheimer’s or dementia. It provides a sense of purpose to their day and working with nature is a nurturing experience. David B. Carr, MD, a geriatrician at Washington University in St. Louis, says, “Gardening requires certain steps or sequences.” He went on to add, “Gardening is one of the non-prescription interventions that has the ability to slow the rate of cognitive decline.”

Grow-lights, hydroponic systems (growing plants without soil) and different kinds of fertilizers can be explored and tried out to make indoor gardening even more appealing. There is a variety of choices when it comes to deciding what type of garden you want to plant. You can start out small and grow from there. No matter what direction you choose, the benefits of gardening are immense.

A fun and easy way to start in the gardening world is to grow an avocado plant. It grows fairly quickly and produces attractive, big green leaves. Watching the progress daily can be very rewarding. Because the growth starts in water, decorating a mason jar or drinking glass can be a fun craft to do ahead of time. As an added bonus, buying an avocado from the store and eating the fruit as a delicious bowl of guacamole is an excellent way to get your hands on a pit. Happy Growing!